I don't know if this particular piece was defective, but my experience was, to put it mildly, tragic. Here's the story. Usage time: 0. I took out the blade, which couldn't even cut butter (acceptable, since all new blades need sharpening), to sharpen it; I sharpened it, all good. I put it back in the slot and had to tighten the screw. Let's say that to tighten this particular screw, on a scale from 1 to 10, you need a force of 6. However, I used a force of 2 and, even so, the result was that it stripped, since the threads in the brass (or bronze, if I'm mistaken) were not correct. DISAPPOINTMENT. Today I was even planning to buy the rest of the series, since I really like them apart from their practicality. NO CHANCE. At least I only bought the one. What a shame.